Saturday, February 13
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
1 P.M.
Central Michigan University
vs
Kent State
CMU sophomore Anika Weekes is averaging 9.2 rebounds in her last five games.
Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22
CMU Women Entertain Kent State On Saturday
2/12/2021 2:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan women's basketball team will look to extend its win streak to three games and take a big step toward the top spot in the Mid-American Conference on Saturday (1 p.m.) when it entertains Kent State.
The Chippewas are 12-6, 10-4 MAC and sit in fifth place in a tight – and highly unusual -- conference race. The Golden Flashes are 7-4, 6-2 and have the fewest losses in the league. They have had four conference games postponed and have played the fewest number of games of any team in the MAC.
As it stands, Bowling Green (11-3 league) sits in first place, followed by Kent State, Buffalo (8-3) and Northern Illinois (8-3). The Chippewas have six league games remaining, including dates with both Bowling Green and Northern Illinois.
Tight Games
The Chippewas have won five of their last six games and their last three games have been decided by three points: an 81-78 win over Miami (Ohio), a 74-71 victory over Western Michigan, and a 69-66 loss to Ball State.
Tough Twin
CMU senior guard Micaela Kelly scored 37 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out six assists as CMU overcame a 15-point deficit on Wednesday in their win at Miami.
Kelly, known by her nickname Twin, now has four 30-point games this season and seven in her brilliant CMU career. She is averaging 23.1 points per game, ranking third in the MAC and 10th nationally.
The reigning MAC Player of the Year, Kelly moved into third place on CMU's career scoring list with her big game at Miami. She has 1,944 career points as she surpassed Sue Nissen, who scored 1,938 from 1988-91. Kelly trails Crystal Bradford, who scored 2,006 points from 2011-15, and Presley Hudson, who had 2,309 from 2015-19.
Weekes Steps Up
Anika Weekes is listed as a 5-foot-10 guard on the CMU roster, but the sophomore has proven to play much bigger.
Weekes, a redshirt sophomore, drew the start at Miami in place of injured Kyra Bussell and scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds – both career highs – in logging 38 minutes. Seven of her boards came on the offensive end. She is averaging 9.2 rebounds in her last five games.
The Matchup
Saturday's game features two of the most-efficient long-range shooting teams in the MAC. Kent State ranks second in the league with a .371 3-point field goal percentage, while the Chippewas are third (.357).
CMU is averaging a league-best 10 3-pointers per game and is No. 1 in the conference in overall field goal percentage (.453) and free throw percentage (.787).
Scouting
The Golden Flashes lost at home to Bowling Green on Wednesday, 80-79, and are 2-2 in their last four games. They topped Miami, 71-69, last Saturday. Both of Kent State's last two games have gone to overtime and each of its last three games have been decided by six points or less.
Nila Blackford, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, leads Kent State in both scoring (16.1 ppg) and rebounding (10.5). The Golden Flashes' Katie Shumate (11.8) and Lindsey Thall (11.6) also average in double figures in scoring.
The Chippewas are 12-6, 10-4 MAC and sit in fifth place in a tight – and highly unusual -- conference race. The Golden Flashes are 7-4, 6-2 and have the fewest losses in the league. They have had four conference games postponed and have played the fewest number of games of any team in the MAC.
As it stands, Bowling Green (11-3 league) sits in first place, followed by Kent State, Buffalo (8-3) and Northern Illinois (8-3). The Chippewas have six league games remaining, including dates with both Bowling Green and Northern Illinois.
Tight Games
The Chippewas have won five of their last six games and their last three games have been decided by three points: an 81-78 win over Miami (Ohio), a 74-71 victory over Western Michigan, and a 69-66 loss to Ball State.
Tough Twin
CMU senior guard Micaela Kelly scored 37 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out six assists as CMU overcame a 15-point deficit on Wednesday in their win at Miami.
Kelly, known by her nickname Twin, now has four 30-point games this season and seven in her brilliant CMU career. She is averaging 23.1 points per game, ranking third in the MAC and 10th nationally.
The reigning MAC Player of the Year, Kelly moved into third place on CMU's career scoring list with her big game at Miami. She has 1,944 career points as she surpassed Sue Nissen, who scored 1,938 from 1988-91. Kelly trails Crystal Bradford, who scored 2,006 points from 2011-15, and Presley Hudson, who had 2,309 from 2015-19.
Weekes Steps Up
Anika Weekes is listed as a 5-foot-10 guard on the CMU roster, but the sophomore has proven to play much bigger.
Weekes, a redshirt sophomore, drew the start at Miami in place of injured Kyra Bussell and scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds – both career highs – in logging 38 minutes. Seven of her boards came on the offensive end. She is averaging 9.2 rebounds in her last five games.
The Matchup
Saturday's game features two of the most-efficient long-range shooting teams in the MAC. Kent State ranks second in the league with a .371 3-point field goal percentage, while the Chippewas are third (.357).
CMU is averaging a league-best 10 3-pointers per game and is No. 1 in the conference in overall field goal percentage (.453) and free throw percentage (.787).
Scouting
The Golden Flashes lost at home to Bowling Green on Wednesday, 80-79, and are 2-2 in their last four games. They topped Miami, 71-69, last Saturday. Both of Kent State's last two games have gone to overtime and each of its last three games have been decided by six points or less.
Nila Blackford, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, leads Kent State in both scoring (16.1 ppg) and rebounding (10.5). The Golden Flashes' Katie Shumate (11.8) and Lindsey Thall (11.6) also average in double figures in scoring.
Players Mentioned
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